Product cartons, and in particular lamp product cartons, have been commonly shipped in large quantities, typically pallet loads. Pallets include wooden bases and exterior wrapping that provide good support. Pallets are too large to be moved by individuals and are therefore moved slowly and in controlled ways by machines.
Current marketing trends indicate that smaller product quantities are frequently ordered. The smaller product quantities are shipped by package carriers and are handled manually. Such shipping frequently results in damaged packages. Lamps are fragile, and broken lamps are unacceptable to customers. To protect the smaller quantities held in a primary shipping case or package, the primary shipping case is enclosed in an overpack carton. Prior art overpack cartons have included a full exterior carton with Styrofoam, polystyrene or cardboard cushions positioned between the primary shipping case and the overpack carton. Frequently, it is difficult to slide the primary shipping case into the overpack carton while retaining the cushions in place. In addition, no overpack carton has been certified by package shippers. Since the packaging is not certified, broken lamp shipments are returned to the vendor at the vendor's expense.
A number of prior art packaging techniques are known. One approach uses a large exterior carton with Styrofoam “popcorn”, wadded newspapers or similar cushioning material between the product package and the exterior carton. This method is not fully reliable, since the inner product package may be positioned too close to an exterior wall, or insufficient filler material may be used to fill the intermediate space. This approach is also costly, since a large exterior carton is used, and an excessive amount of cushioning material is used. The labor associated with this packaging technique is also substantial.
A second prior art packaging technique uses a large exterior carton and eight Styrofoam corner cushions. The inner package is then positioned in the exterior carton with the inner package walls and the outer carton walls parallel to each other. Less fill material is used, and the packing process is faster. This approach has been used to pack inner packages of fluorescent lamps. The Styrofoam cushions do not provide good shock resistance, and breakage of the product may occur. The exterior carton is relatively large, and the time for filling and sealing is substantial. This approach has not been certified by package shippers for insurance purposes.
A third approach uses an exterior carton into which the inner package is placed, with the inner package walls rotated at 45° relative to the exterior carton walls. Triangular folded cardboard cushions are then inserted between the inner package and a corner of the exterior carton. While four triangular cardboard cushions may be used, in actual practice two are usually positioned on opposite sides of the inner package. This method has also been used to pack inner packages of fluorescent lamps. The method requires an exterior carton that is at least 40% larger than the inner package. Material use is high, and packing is labor-intensive, leading to an expensive overall package. This method has not been certified by package shippers for insurance purposes.
Cushioned packaging devices have been disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,039, issued Jul. 13, 1982 to Mykleby; U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,696, issued Aug. 20, 1991 to Liebel; U.S. Pat. No. 1,601,547, issued Sep. 28, 1926 to Wofford; U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,035, issued Apr. 29, 1997 to Kim; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,266,705, issued Aug. 16, 1966 to Wood. All of the known prior art exterior packaging techniques have had one or more disadvantages, including, but not limited to, a failure to adequately protect the inner package, excessively large size and high cost of materials and/or labor.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved overpack cartons and methods of packing a primary shipping case.